Preference and Information

摘要

This book provides a thorough and engaging treatment of one important consideration regarding the preferences of individuals - the standing of these preferences vis-a-vis the factual information upon which they are based. While the book is of wide interest, I agree with the claim of the author, Dan Egonsson, that it is particularly important for those who are concerned with 'preference-sensitive' measures of well-being or broader moral theories. Indeed, any moral theory that gives some importance to the preferences of individuals will need to engage with the issue of what sort of preferences count. It is common to appeal to the degree of autonomy of a person's preferences, but what exactly does this mean? Some have focused on preference formation, the idea being that we should not pay much attention to preferences that have been somehow coerced or conditioned (see, e.g., Elster 1982).